Grafenegg castle
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Please find information on holidays in Austria in your local language by selecting it here.
Setting the Stage for Austria’s Palace Festivals
Every year, Austria boasts a multitude of palace festivals in outstanding locations that contribute significantly to the enjoyment of art and culture.
Spectacular Settings for Majestic Productions
Enjoy cultural festivals held in historic locations: If Austria's castle and palace walls could speak, they would have much to tell. This atmosphere permeates the country's castle festivals. Whether it is historic moats, Baroque parks or grand imperial halls - each location contributes its own flair to the enjoyment of the cultural offerings.
Palace Festivals create an exciting bridge between history and music, between the past and the present. Passionate performers present a contemporary, modern program and invite you to dive into this world somewhere between today and yesterday.
Interesting Facts about Palace Festivals in Austria
Austria’s Most Beautiful Music Festivals
Summer Night Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna
The annual Summer Night Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic is held amid the Baroque palace park of Schönbrunn – between the palace and the Gloriette. In 1996, the garden and palace joined the ranks of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.
The glamour of this location and the magic of classical music combine to make this Summer Night Concert a truly spectacular event. The concert, which is free of charge, is also broadcast internationally.
Grafenegg
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Grafenegg Festival, Lower Austria
For more than 15 years now, music lovers have been diving into the world of music at the Grafenegg Festival – one of the most renowned festivals worldwide. International stars such as director and pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, soprano Anna Netrebko or the Vienna Philharmonic, as well as special introductory productions, are hallmarks of the festival.
The open-air concerts are held on the stage of the so-called cloud tower, the „Wolkenturm.“ It was specifically constructed for the festival on the premises of Grafenegg Castle and boasts excellent acoustics.
Tip: Book early to snatch up a bargain spot on the lawn and enjoy a picnic during the concert.
Innsbruck
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Innsbruck Festival Weeks of Early Music, Tirol
The Innsbruck Festival Weeks of Early Music focuses on Baroque operas and concerts in historic settings throughout Innsbruck. The festival aims to perform Early Music in its original sound – often with instruments built with traditional methods. Patrons of the festival enjoy the numerous free-of-charge events such as the “Lunch Concerts,” the „Musica montana“, and the „Concerte mobile“, as well as their historic locations in the heart of Innsbruck.
Tip: An hour before performances start, musicians usually provide interesting insights into the program. This, however, does not apply to „Tango Seasons“, church concerts and those free-of-charge concerts.
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Carinthian Summer, Carinthia
The Carinthian Summer was founded in 1969 and ranks among Austria's most important music festivals. The variety of concerts ranges from orchestra concerts, jazz and vocal music to staged concerts, sacral operas (Kirchenopern) and picnic concerts. Literature and the fine arts also have a place at the Carinthian Summer Festival.
The festival is held in natural and historic locations throughout Carinthia, such as Tentschach Palace and Bach Palace. Each year, the unique atmosphere of the Carinthian Summer attracts performers and visitors from all over the world.
Palais Liechtenstein
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Sommer Rhapsodie, Vienna
During summer, many music and theatre performances are held outdoors, as is the case at the Garden Palais of the princely family of Liechtenstein in Vienna. There, you can enjoy a lovely evening in the shade while enjoying a delightful meal and outstanding art events.
While guests are pampered with a three-course meal and delicacies from the cellars of the Palais Liechtenstein, the Summer Rhapsodie provides an entertainment program of literature, cabaret and theatre, as well as concerts ranging from classical to pop.
Please note: most literature, cabaret and theatre performances are in German.
Kirchstetten Castle, Lower Austria
media_content.tooltip.skipped
KlassikFestival Schloss Kirchstetten, Lower Austria
The hallmark of the KlassikFestivals Schloss Kirchstetten is performances in small, intimate settings. Operas in the Italian Belcanto tradition, in which patrons are integrated into the performance, or the cycle "Kammermusik: gehört-erzählt "with its candle-light settings, are among the enchanting highlights of the KlassikFestivals.
The open-air concert "Klassik unter Sternen "is an annual favourite with audiences. Another highlight is the festival's "Symphonic Rock" open-air production, combining the symphonic orchestra's sound power with a rock concert's untamed energy.
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Herbstgold Festival, Burgenland
The special atmosphere of the Baroque palace owned by the counts of Esterházy inspired Joseph Haydn’s music. The composer was a court musician, bandmaster and composer at the court of the Esterházys in Eisenstadt from 1761 until 1803. The Herbstgold Festival is now held in the same hall that saw the premieres of Haydn’s works so many centuries ago.
The Festival’s repertoire ranges from classical music performances to orchestra performances, Jazz evenings and world music.
media_content.tooltip.skipped
KLANGLICHT Festival, Styria
What makes the KLANGLICHT Festival in Graz so special is the combination of light art, colours and music, which turns Eggenberg Palace – a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site – and its gardens into an audiovisual work of art. During the festival, spectacular light installations are projected onto the facade and mounted in the various parks of the palace.
The visual experience is accompanied and augmented by music composed specifically for the event. The KLANGLICHT Festival presents a special opportunity to enjoy art and culture in an innovative and immersive form.
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Taggenbrunner Festspiele, Carinthia
The Taggenbrunner Festival is an annual highlight in St. Veit an der Glan in Carinthia. The event is a unique combination of culture and culinary highlights amid the picturesque setting of Taggenbrunn Castle. Every summer, visitors from all over the world enjoy the program of high-quality concerts, opera performances, plays and readings underneath the roofed courtyard of the castle while dining on regional specialities and wines.
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Halbturner Schlosskonzerte, Burgenland
During summer, the Baroque gem Halbturn Palace in Burgenland is the venue for the Halbturn Palace Concerts. It is hard to say what is more enchanting: the high-calibre concerts or the scenery. Performances are held in the historic hall, which is graced with the famous fresco "Allegorie der Zeit und des Lichtes," which roughly translates to "Allegory of Time and Light". The magnificent fresco hall was commissioned in 1765 by Empress Maria Theresia and executed by Franz Anton Maulbertsch.
The oldest music festival in Burgenland guarantees an intimate setting and an outstanding program between classical music and jazz.
Did you know?
media_content.tooltip.skipped
Numerous art and cultural events in Austria, such as the palace festivals, strive for sustainability: They do not use printed materials, offer shuttles to the event locations or offer local beverages and meals, often sourced organically.
By valuing mindful coexistence, inclusivity and barrier-free access, Austria’s art and cultural institutions also contribute to social sustainability.
This Might Also Be Interesting For You
Take the train to Austria's Palace Festivals
